Quick Takes

March 18, 2012

PRESENTER: Christina Wanat, chief administrator for student learning at Eastern Gateway Community College, recently served on a panel presentation at the national Achieving the Dream conference in Dallas.

The panel of five presented on "Broad Engagement: Student Success Across the State."

AtD is a national organization that is dedicated to helping more community college students, particularly low-income students and students of color, stay in school and earn a college certificate or degree.

Evidence-based, student-centered and built on the values of equity and excellence, AtD is closing achievement gaps and accelerating student success nationwide by guiding evidence-based institutional improvement; influencing public policy; generating knowledge; and engaging the public, according to officials.

Eastern Gateway is one of 52 leader colleges with AtD. The college joined the organization in 2005.

Wanat earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from West Liberty University and a master's degree in higher education from Jones International University.

She joined the college in 1999 as director of the Eastern Ohio Valley Tech Prep Consortium. Formerly of Wellsburg, Wanat now resides in New Philadelphia.

HONORED: Mary Ellen Horkey was named the March employee of the month at Eastern Gateway Community College.

Horkey, a clerk in central services in the business services department, began working at the college in 1994 and earned an associate of applied business degree in business management from Eastern Gateway.

She and her husband, Perry, reside in Amsterdam.

CAREER FAIR: Wheeling Jesuit University and the Regional Economic Development partnership are co-hosting a career fair for Wheeling Jesuit University students and young alumni on Tuesday in Troy Theater, Swint Hall. The event is designed to assist local and regional companies with recruiting efforts.

"This career fair offers area businesses a chance to hire full-time employees, as well as meet with students interested in internship opportunities," said Christine Ohl-Gigliotti, dean of student development.

The career fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The first session is for general employment opportunities, and the evening session is specifically for careers in the health sciences.

For information, contact Nora Snyder, executive secretary to the dean of student development, at (304) 243-2350.

ON RISE: The U.S. deficit in the broadest measure of foreign trade increased at the end of last year to the highest level in three years, widened by a slight decline in exports and higher imports.

The Commerce Department says the current account trade deficit increased 15.3 percent in the October-December quarter, to $124.1 billion.

The increase was partly influenced by an increase in imported airplanes. Exports decreased slightly to $380.4 billion. Imports ticked up to $566.7 billion.

For the year, the current account deficit rose 0.6 percent to $473.4 billion, the largest imbalance since 2008.

Economists think the deficit will keep rising in 2012. Troubles in Europe and slower growth in Asia are likely to drag on U.S. exports.